European Union lawmakers agreed on Tuesday on compulsory labelling for foods containing certain synthetic dyes, along with a consumer warning that they may cause hyperactivity in children.
After a debate on authorisation rules for food additives, flavourings and enzymes, MEPs voted to include a provision that six colourings containing "azo dyes" had to be labelled "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". The MEPs' views will now be presented to EU ministers - most likely in the autumn, officials say - with a view to reaching final agreement on the revised rules, which aim to streamline EU regulations down from about 12 to just four.
In April, national EU experts discussed the safety of the additives, following British research that concluded there was a link between the colourings and hyperactivity in children.
In 2007, researchers from Britain's Southampton University triggered public debate with a study that suggested use of the additives might cause child hyperactivity, based on tests of around 300 children. The additives analysed were tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), ponceau (E124), allura red (E129) and carmoisine (E122).